3 more booked for caste discrimination

MADURAI: In the wake of caste discrimination caused to some students by a shopkeeper at Panchankulam village in Sankarankovil taluk of Tenkasi district, two persons including the shopkeeper were arrested on Saturday. Besides, Karivalamvanthanallur police have filed a case against three more local persons of the village in connection with the incident, Collector P Akash Kumar said on Sunday.

Moreover, a special team of officials from the Departments of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare and Revenue inspected the Panchankulam Panchayat Union Primary school based on a televised report alleging that some students of the school were being discriminated while serving food. According to the officials, no such allegation has been proven after conducting enquiries with the staff there.

Tenkasi Superintendent of Police R Krishnaraj, when contacted, said the police took proactive action immediately and registered a suo motu case under Section -153 (A) of IPC and after a detailed probe, invoked the SC/ ST Act.

In 2020, the police filed a case under the SC/ST Act over issues concerning these two sections of the villagers, and K. Ramakrishnan, who belongs to the caste Hindu group, at the same village, figured as ‘A-3’ accused in the case. As he could not get recruited under the ‘Agnipath scheme’ despite being selected, he along with his relatives approached some of the Dalits, who lodged the complaint against him, to compromise and settle the issue. But the Dalits did not budge from their decision to keep the case intact. However, fifty police personnel have been deployed at the village, the police officer said.